Ring with resilient ring guard and securing screw

ABSTRACT

A ring guard for reducing the effective size of a ring, said guard being a strip of plastic having a central portion thereof secured to the ring and offset end portions in sliding engagement with the inner surface of the ring.

United States Patent 12/1939 McDonald 63/15.6 X 9/1956 Lund 63/15.6X 3/1966 Johnson 63/156 8/1969 Lodrini.. 63/15.6 9/1969 Tucker..... 63/156 12/1969 Lodrini 63/156 FOREIGN PATENTS 7/1932 Great Britain 63/156 Primary Examiner-F. Barry Shay Attorney-Rudolph J. .lurick ABSTRACT: A ring guard for reducing the effective size of a ring, said guard being a strip of plastic having a central portion thereof secured to the ring and offset end portions in sliding engagement with the inner surface of the ring.

RING WITH RESILIENT RING GUARD AND SECURING SCREW BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional ring guards, of the class to which this invention is directed, comprise a leaf member made of a spring metal and having integral tabs, or ears, laterally extending from the end portions thereof. The guard is secured in place by bending the tabs about the ring. Such guards are provided in various lengths to effect a desired reduction in the effective ring size but they are not adjustable after they have been attached to the ring. Furthermore, these guards, particularly the bent over tab portions thereof, collect dust, pinch the skin and catch on the clothing and hair of the wearer.

A ring guard made in accordance with this invention ever comes the shortcoming of present guards, is economical to produce and can be adjusted after it has been attached to a ring.

A narrow strip of plastic, preferably nylon, has integral, offset ends and has a central hole formed therein. The guard is secured to a ring by a screw passing through the central hole,

the offset end portions of the guard thereby being pressed into sliding engagement with the inner surface of the ring. The reduction in the effective diameter of the ring is determined by the initial length of the guard. After the guard has been secured to the ring, the effective diameter of the ring can be increased by cutting off portions of one or both of the offset end portions.

An object of this invention is the provision of an improved ring guard of the type generally used to reduce the effective size of the ring.

An object of this invention is the provision of a ring guard comprising a strip of nylon provided with means for attachment to a ring, said strip having offset end portions which engage the inner surface of the ring when the guard is secured thereto.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken with the accompanying drawings. It will be understood however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and are not to be construed as defining the scope or limits of the invention, reference being had for the latter purpose to the claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote like parts in the several views:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing a ring having secured thereto a ring guard made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of a ring guard made in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a corresponding top plan view thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a ring guard made in accordance with another embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 6 is a corresponding bottom plan view thereof;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side elevational view of a ring having secured thereto the guard shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, portions of the ring and guard being broken away and shown in cross section, and

FIG. 8 is a similar view showing a ring having secured thereto the guard shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a ring 10 carrying a stone 11 and having a guard 12 secured thereto by a screw 13. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the guard 12, preferably nylon, has

integral, tapered offset end portions l4 and IS. A central hole 16 extends through the Strip. Preferably, the sidewalls of the strip are rounded as shown in FIG. 4, thereby to facilitate the insertion of the ring over ones finger after the guard has been secured thereto. A threaded hole is formed in the ring for receiving the thin-headed, fastening screw 13, as shown in FIG. 7. With the screw firmly screwed into the hole of the ring, the screwhead compresses the plastic strip 12, thereby preventing relative rotation between the guard and the ring.

At the same time, the ends of the offset end portions 14 and 15 of the guard, are firmly pressed against the inner surface of the ring. The guard now reduces the effective diameter, or size, of the ring. Initially, the jeweler will select a guard of a given length to effect a predetermined reduction in the effective ring size to prevent accidental removal of the ring from the finger of the wearer. In the event the ring then fits too snugly about the finger, the effective size of the ring can be increased by merely cutting off a portion of one or both of the offset end portions 14 and 15.

Another form of the ring guard is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The guard 18 is similar to the guard 12, being made of nylon and having tapered, offset end portions 19 and 20. However, the guard 18 has an integral, central boss 21 through which the hole for the fastening screw extends. As shown in FIG. 8, the boss 21 extends into a hole formed in the ring and the guard is secured in place by the fastening screw 22. In this arrangement, the hole formed in the ring is not threaded and the screw 22 cuts a thread into the boss 21. This forces the boss to expand into firm engagement with the wall defining the hole, thereby preventing relative rotation between the guard and ring.

Having now described the invention what I desire to protect by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims.

1. In combination, a ring and ring-guard means secured thereto by a screw, said guard means comprising a resilient strip having a normally straight elongated center portion receiving said screw and opposite end portions offset in the same direction from said center portion, said end portions being brought into engagement with the inner surface of the ring prior to said center portion as the screw is tightened, thereby producing at each side of said screw a portion of said strip convexly arched and projecting radially inward of said ring.

2. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein said strip is nylon and the said offset end portions are tapered.

3.- The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the screw passes through a hole formed in the center portion of said strip and is threaded into a threaded hole formed in the ring.

4. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the said strip includes an integral, central boss having a hole extending therethrough, wherein said boss extends into a hole formed in the ring, and wherein the said screw is threaded into the said boss. 

1. In combination, a ring and ring-guard means secured thereto by a screw, said guard means comprising a resilient strip having a normally straight elongated center portion receiving said screw and opposite end portions offset in the same direction from said center portion, said end portions being brought into engagement with the inner surface of the ring prior to said center portion as the screw is tightened, thereby producing at each side of said screw a portion of said strip convexly arched and projecting radially inward of said ring.
 2. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein said strip is nylon and the said offset end portions are tapered.
 3. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the screw passes through a hole formed in the center portion of said strip and is threaded into a threaded hole formed in the ring.
 4. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the said strip includes an integral, central boss having a hole extending therethrough, wherein said boss extends into a hole formed in the ring, and wherein the said screw is threaded into the said boss. 